To the edge of space and back
Read more about the capabilities of space flights of two majors in the space tourism sector…
With the rise of commercial flights shooting into the sky and civilians spending ungodly sums of money to get an “astronaut” label and visit outer space, there is a growing curiosity about what these flights entail. Read more about the capabilities of space flights of two majors in the space tourism sector…
On Tuesday, July 20, 2021, the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, is all set to fly to the edge of space along with three others, aboard his company Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. Surpassing the troposphere and stratosphere, the space flights of Blue Origin will fly to the edge of space, about 100 km above the Earth’s mean sea level—the Karman line, also called the ‘edge of space’.
Spaceflight capabilities –Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin
Both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin space flights are designed for suborbital flights, meaning space trips within the Earth’s orbit. The trips remain confined within the outer atmosphere of the Earth.
The spacecraft developed by Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin are very different. Virgin Galactic’s spacecraft is not a classic rocket but rather a carrier airplane that reaches a high altitude and releases a smaller spacecraft, the VSS Unity. The VSS Unity fires its engines and reaches suborbital space before heading back to Earth.
Flight altitude and engine
Most Virgin Galactic spacecraft has a jet-powered aircraft docked underneath. The carrier aircraft takes off from a runway and climbs to an altitude of more than 40,000 feet. Then the spacecraft is dropped, free-falling briefly before firing its rocket motor and ascending to about 295,000 feet, or roughly 90 kilometres, which is 10 kilometres short of the Karman line.
The spacecraft essentially does a slow backflip at the edge of space, with passengers spending a few minutes floating in microgravity before it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere and glides back onto the runway. The company reuses the spacecraft, replacing the hybrid rocket engine and reconnecting it to the carrier aircraft.
Blue Origin’s rocket-and-capsule combo, called the New Shepard, shoots into suborbital space and then separates its capsule. The pressurised capsule floats in microgravity for a while before falling back to Earth assisted by a parachute system. The 60-foot tall rocket section –booster- returns to the launchpad vertically, and the company can reuse this for future launches.
Seating capacities
The Virgin Galactic space-planes can accommodate 4 passengers, with 2 additional crew members. The flight is a 90-minute thrill ride, including a weightlessness experience of several minutes when the plane floats in microgravity. On the other hand, the Blue Origin rockets are designed for 10-minute fully autonomous flights, with at most 6 passengers on board.
Virgin Galactic space planes
– Can accommodate 4 passengers, 2 additional crew members
– 90-minute thrill ride
– A weightlessness experience of several minutes
Blue Origin’s New Shepard
• The rocket-and-capsule combo has the capability to fly beyond the ‘edge of the space’-Karman Line
• Pressurised capsule floats in microgravity before falling back to Earth using a parachute
• The domed capsule boasts six observation windows the largest ever used in a space travel
• 60-foot tall booster rocket returns to the launch pad, and can be reused for future launches
Features Blue Origin Virgin Galactic
– Flies above the Karman line Yes No
– Vehicle type Rocket High altitude airplane
– Windows Largest windows in space (107*71cm) Airplane-sized windows
– Escape system yes No
Ozone layer impact Minimal High
Flight history 15 flights 3 flights (above 80km)
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